Local music circuit groomed humble Hicks for success
Taylor Hicks didn't become a success overnight, but the "American Idol" contestant said his years as a nightclub performer in Alabama have all been worth it.
"When you play music," Hicks said, "there is work in Birmingham, and the work makes you better as a musician."
Hicks, 29, gave a professional shout-out to his hometown during a Friday teleconference with media from around the country.
Just three days remain until the Birmingham singer faces Katharine McPhee of Los Angeles in the finals of the Fox TV reality series. Results will be announced Wednesday during a splashy, two-hour episode from the Kodak Theater in Hollywood.
Ever the Southern gentleman, Hicks praised his opponent, saying he admired her "amazing vocal runs."
Hicks also revealed that he might let rip with "a harmonica solo or two" in the finale.
Win or lose, the gray-haired musician has become a famous face during his "Idol" journey and likely will have a big-bucks recording contract in his jacket pocket when the show is over.
His first major-label CD, Hicks said, "is going to have to be a really good representation of who I am as an artist - possibly a little bit cutting edge."
Just one year ago, Hicks said, his life was far less glitzy and the career opportunities followed suit.
"I was probably still sleeping after the Mullet Toss at the Flora-Bama," he said.
Yes, Hicks has flung fish.
What he's never done, however, is travel across the country on his own tour bus. Hicks said he hopes to do that in the future.
"As a struggling musician, traveling from place to place, I would always dream about being on one," Hicks said. "Now, I have the opportunity."
In fact, Hicks said, he'll probably live on his tour bus for a while, after the "Idol" publicity blitz concludes.
"I might have some little lake place somewhere, where I can sit and stare at a tree and some water," he said. "My Birmingham apartment has always been there for me. But my home has been the road since before 'American Idol.'
